Undiscovered
by seek-to-enchant121584
Summary: Max and Alec have always had chemistry. Up until Logan's suspicions, it was of a negative nature. Acting as a catalyst, now Max and Alec each begin to doubt how volatile their being together would be. But it's going to take more than confused feelings. MA. Complete.
1. Feeling a change

Author's note – Hi, again! I'm back. As for this story, it takes place in Season 2, sometime between "She ain't heavy" and "Love among the runes" for obvious reasons. You'll understand when you read.

Music Suggestions – 'Downfall' by Trust Company, 'Stranger inside' by Shinedown, 'Undiscovered' by Ashlee Simpson, 'Eat you alive' by Limp Bizkit.

Disclaimer – Don't own Dark Angel.

Undiscovered: Chapter 1

Alec sat on a bench beside his locker at Jam Pony, gazing at Max with the intensity of a painter studying his muse. She was conversing with OC about something or other, but he wasn't really paying attention to that. Her eyes lit up and she bowled over, laughing at something OC had said. His head tilted to the side with what could only be described as rapt fascination. Pretending to be reorganizing his bag, he occasionally pulled something out, only to stuff it back in without even looking at it. He'd been at it for at least twenty minutes now.

It had been tense the weeks following Sam's arrival and departure from Seattle. Well, to be honest, it'd been tense since Max had told him that they were a couple. He didn't understand why Logan would come to such a conclusion and why Max would let him believe it. Could Logan _not_ see how he and Max treated each other? And what exactly was Max thinking when she didn't deny the accusation? He knew that Max thought of him as a screw-up, but did she really believe he would go so low as to steal someone's girl? If he thought he had a chance in hell with her, he would've made a move. But she'd made that clear from the beginning that she was already involved and couldn't stand him. So he held back and fell into the role she placed him in. Now here she was letting Logan think that he could steal Max like she was some kind of property.

And to top it all off, he wasn't even getting any of the benefits that such a relationship entitles. Well, not unless Logan was in the area and they had to keep up pretenses. He'd rather not think of that, though. It just brought his current troubles to the surface.

He couldn't explain it, but lately he just couldn't take his eyes off of Max. His eyes were drawn to her every time she was near. At first, he was almost positive that she was entering a heat cycle. He had yet to see her have one with him around. Manticore had ways of regulating it, but here on the outside for so long, it was bound to kick in sooner or later. However, he ruled out that option early on. One, because she wasn't producing an excess of pheromones and two, the other male X5s working at Jam Pony hadn't made any advances on her.

That had led him to wonder what Max was like in heat. She definitely wouldn't be as controlled as she was now. She'd probably be more open to doing it in any location as well. That provided him with a wealth of images that would otherwise endanger his manhood if Max were ever to find out about them. But then another thought occurred to him: would she want him? That thought had given him pause, causing him to have a near accident due to it occurring during a JP run earlier that week. Did he want Max to think of him as a suitable mate? Hell yes.

Even his subconscious couldn't escape her. His dreams had been haunted by Max as well. There was one in particular that had a frequent occurrence. It involved a motorcycle, Max in a sexy red dress, and a red apple. He'd been watching too much TV. He was beginning to think that maybe male X5s went into heat as well...an extended heat, at that. How else could he explain his sudden obsession with Max?

He couldn't even sleep around anymore. He hadn't had sex in weeks due to Max. It had to be some kind of record for him. No other girl could seem to do it for him. His body only wanted one person...and she couldn't stand him.

Focusing his gaze, he realized that OC was looking at him oddly. Smiling half-heartedly, he shifted his gaze to his bag and zipped it up. Standing, he slung it over his shoulder and walked over to the main desk where Normal was busy bipping his underlings into action.

"Hey, Normal. Got anything for Sector 8?" Alec asked, leaning nonchalantly against the post next to the main desk.

Normal looked up at who'd spoken, surprised at the request. It was the furthest sector out, not to mention the most dangerous. Most _avoided_ getting packages for that area. And it was Alec, of all people, who had asked.

"Got three actually." Normal said, bewildered. "Probably take all day to deliver. Sure you want to head all the way out there? You know what? I'll get someone else to help. Missy-miss, perhaps?" He continued, placing the three packages on the counter and preparing to call Max over.

"No!" Alec shouted out while shaking his head vigorously. He wanted to get away from her, not be stuck alone with her all day.

A few had looked up at his outburst, surprised. Rarely did Alec ever lose control of his emotions.

"It's dangerous out there, that's all." he explained in a calmer tone, looking down for a moment to berate himself.

"She's had no problem out there before, but alright. If that's what you want…" Normal trailed off, looking at Alec peculiarly.

Alec scooped up the packages and tucked them into his bag before making his way over to collect his bike.

ooomoooo*ooovoooxoo*oozooo*ooouoooo

"Somethin' up wit yo' boy, Boo. Been all outta sorts for awhile now." OC commented as Alec walked past them, staring straight ahead. Her eyes followed him all the way to his bike before turning back to Max.

"He ain't my boy. And yeah, I've noticed. Hard to tell what, though." Max replied as she pulled on her fingerless gloves. Although, she did have a feeling she knew why. She just wasn't revealing it to her girl. She seemed to be having trouble focusing as well whenever he was around. It'd been ever since that one episode a few weeks back when Logan had made an unexpected appearance. She refused to dwell on the memory, however. If it were anyone else but Alec, she'd think she was beginning to crush on the guy. She stared after him awhile longer before turning back to her locker and slamming the door shut. "It's made him an even larger pain in the ass than usual." she continued.

"Girl, you need to quit givin' him such a hard time." OC chastised as they both walked across the way to grab packages to be delivered.

Walking away, Max detected something being thrown her way. Spinning around, she caught the small rectangular package with lightening quick reflexes that was inches from hitting her on the head. She looked at Normal incredulously, who wore his usual bland expression.

"That just came in. Sector 8. Alec just went out before it arrived. Bip!" Normal explained before turning to hand out more packages, dismissing her.

"But Normal, that's all the way across town." Max complained, frowning.

"Then you'd best get going. That's not the only package you'll deliver today, either." Normal retorted, not even looking in her direction.

"Ass." Max muttered to OC, who snorted in response.

"What was that?" Normal asked suspiciously, for once being astute.

"Bipping." Max replied loudly, holding up the package and trudging over to where her bike was hanging.

OC walked up beside Max to get her own bike. "You want Original to take that?" she asked, gesturing to the first package Max had picked up. It was in the same sector as hers.

"If you don't mind." Max said morosely, handing the package over. She'd been looking forward to some long overdue quality time with her best friend.

OC looked at Max sadly. She missed spending time with her girl as well. "Don't worry, girl. We'll catch up later. Up for Crash tonight?" OC asked, sending Max a warm expression.

"Yeah. Catch ya later." Max replied, walking her bike up the ramp and out the door. She looked up at the overcast sky. It looked like rain. It was going to be a long day.

oooaooo*oovooooo*oouooooo*oomooo

A/N – There it is. This story was inspired by numerous things. For instance, in this chapter, a DKNY 'Red Delicious' perfume ad in September's (of 2007) issue of Cosmo (somewhere between pages 40-50 if you want to look it up). Up next, OC and Max have a talk at Crash. Until next time…


	2. Charged confrontations

Author's note: Since I'm all about getting inspiration from other sources for this story-and telling you about it-, one scene was inspired by a line from Blade:Trinity. Also, thanks for all the lovely reviews!

Music Suggestions: 'Bliss (I don't wanna know)' by Hinder, 'Forever' by Papa Roach, 'Why can't I' by Liz Phair, 'Cold (But I'm still here)' by Evans Blue.

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own Dark Angel.

Chapter 2

By the time she'd arrived at Crash that evening, Max was beyond pissed, if not thoroughly confused as to the events that had transpired earlier that day. Not only had that one run taken half the day, but she'd been attacked _and_ around noon it'd begun to rain. And then she ran into Alec, twice.

But back to the run-in with the welcoming committee.

A gang of brainless idiots had the nerve to try and put the jump on her. She hadn't even been in Sector 8 for fifteen minutes when she encountered the group. She hadn't gone down a dark alley or anything.

It had taken her nearly two hours to ride out all the way to that sector (What could she say? A girl's gotta have a break…or three.) and then _that_ had to happen. Riding down the center of the road, they had boxed her in by parking cars at the intersection in front of her and two cars closing in from behind. As if that were the monumental element of surprise. Please. She came to a halt about five feet from the road block, a petulant expression gracing her countenance.

"Hey there, chickie, chickie, chickie." said a pasty looking fellow standing in the middle of the group.

"Got to admit, I've never heard that one before." Max said matter-of-factly, snarky attitude firmly in place. "Now why don't you get out of my way before I have to hurt any of you. Places to go, packages to deliver, you know the deal."

"Better check that attitude of yours. You're outnumbered 10 to 1 and you're just one little girl. What harm could you honestly do?" a guy standing to her far right said haughtily.

All the emotion drained from her face and her expression startled more than one of the members of standing along the barricade. There were rumors about a girl that came and went through this sector as she pleased, putting down anyone that crossed her path.

"I tried being nice. Now I'll ask one last time, let me pass." Max bit out gravely.

"Maybe we should just let her go. She doesn't look to be carrying anything of importance anyway." a lanky teenager with stringy black hair told the leader in the center. A few others nodded in agreement.

"We don't make exceptions." the leader replied. "And we definitely don't take orders from a little messenger girl."

"Pity. You are dumber than you look." Max stated flatly, shaking her head disappointingly. She made a quick inventory of their weaponry as the gang formed a circle around Max. Some were carrying blades, some only had only their bare hands. No guns from what she could see.

They obviously didn't know who they were up against.

She calmly got off her bike and put down her kickstand. Holding her hands out in a sign of surrender, she said in a voice completely devoid of emotion, "Come and get me."

Needless to say, she made quick work of their mediocre fighting skills and was on her way without receiving one scratch. What she didn't find out until later was that Alec had witnessed the whole debacle. The second time she ran into Alec, it had began to pour down rain. After her little run-in with the welcoming committee. It had resulted in one of the most trivial arguments they'd ever had. She'd been the one to start it, and she couldn't even remember what it'd been about.

Ever since she'd informed him of the assumption Logan had made about them being together, he'd been more moody and distant than ever before.

Things had been going relatively well between her and Logan. Logan kept his distance, and Max was able to breathe a little bit easier.

But then Logan had shown up at Jam Pony unexpectedly.

_He was searching the crowd for her. He spotted her and she panicked._

_Discovering that Alec was just across the hall and standing right in front of the broom closet, she made a quick decision. In a few confident strides, she grabbed onto Alec's arm and shoved him into the closet._

"_Damn, Max. What now?" Alec demanded irritably, turning around once she closed the door._

_Putting her ear up to it, she focused in on Logan's footsteps. They faltered, but continued. Looking down, the door had no lock._

"_Logan's here." she said._

"_And you still haven't told him the truth about us." Alec concluded darkly._

"_Just help me out here. Please?" Max begged, motioning him closer frantically with both hands._

_He stepped forward. Too close. Max's breath caught in her throat when he whispered in her ear, "Wanna make it real or fake it?"_

_Not really understanding the difference, she replied distractedly "Real." Either way, they were faking the sounds to sound real through the door._

_Placing his hands just below her butt, he lifted her up, causing her to wrap her legs around his hips. Without any warning or warming up to it, he shoved her into the door and lowered his head down to her neck._

_Shivering when his lips made contact, she gasped when his gentle kisses down the column of her neck turned into almost painful nips and sucking. A moan worked its way out from deep insider her, clutching one hand around his torso while the other latched on deep in his hair. Dragging her nails down his back, Alec growled lightly against her neck._

_Moving to the other side, he repeated his ministrations. As waves of pleasure flooded through her, she realized that at some point Alec had began jerking his hips into hers, pressing against parts of her that she'd long since forgotten existed. And it felt amazing._

"_Mmm…Alec." she moaned out. "Harder." she pleaded, her legs flexing instinctively around his body._

_Her words seemed to have the undesired effect of reminding him of where he was and what they were doing. This wasn't real, despite how good it felt having Max pressed against him like this. Having her so accepting to his advances. It was just a show for Logan. Reluctantly pulling back, he took one of her legs and tugged it from his waist. He trailed his hand up to her butt and squeezed playfully one last time. _

_Hell, he might as well cop one last feel._

_She leaned forward, following his retreating upper body to nip at his ear in retaliation. The gesture completely open and just as playful as his._

"_I don't appreciate being teased." Max said petulantly, grazing the tip of her nose along the shell of the same ear she nipped._

_He almost dove back in, consequences be damned. Max had just flirted with him. She _bit_ him. That was something mates usually did. To mark what was theirs._

_And damn it all if he didn't want to mark her. More than once._

_But not now. He couldn't mark what wasn't rightfully his._

_Looking disoriented, Max found herself being lowered back onto her own two feet. Gazing up at him with a glazed expression, he trailed a fingertip down her cheek in a tender gesture completely unexpected from him._

"_I'm sure he's gone by now. I'll leave first." Alec said quietly, an unreadable look in his eyes._

_Not waiting for a reply, he stepped around her and opened the door, then walked out._

_She couldn't even recall who the "he" was that Alec was referring to at first. Once the door closed, she leaned against it and slid down into a crouch. Right, Logan. Clutching her head in her hands, she reminisced. She couldn't believe how easy it had been to let Alec do those things to her. Groaning, she realized that her body craved more of him. She probably would've let him go on as far and as long as he wanted if he hadn't been the voice of reason. It really had been too long..._

After that incident, she hadn't been able to think clearly in his presence since. It pissed her off to an unbelievable level.

Returning to the present, she spotted OC sitting at their usual table and made her way over. She'd never told OC what had transpired in that closet. Thankfully, her girl had been on a run at the time, because she never would've heard the end of it from OC.

"What up, Boo?" OC asked once Max had sat down.

Pouring herself a drink, she relayed her whole day to OC, who sat and listened intently. It wasn't until Max had finished did she reply.

"Boo, I know you been seeing how yo' boy's changed. He ain't all about saving his own skin anymore. You need to come correct and give yo' boy a chance." OC said, giving Max a stern look.

Max was unable to hold eye contact for long and looked down at the beer in her hand. It no longer looked as appealing as it had when she'd first sat down. What OC was saying was true. She'd been giving Alec an overly hard time as of late. It was almost as if she were defending herself from him. But why would she need to do that? It wasn't like she was falling for him or anything.

She perused the crowd and spotted Alec sitting on a stool at the bar, appearing hunched over and miserable. As she stared, she wondered. Was _she_ the reason he looked so worn and defeated? Sure, she may be a tad bit…hostile towards him, but that was just their dynamic. It's what made them work so well together, wasn't it? Now she wasn't so sure.

"Maybe you're right, OC." Max said, looking back at her friend.

OC looked slightly surprised at Max's quick agreement. But that wasn't the only shock. Her boo hadn't even bothered to correct her comment about Alec being her boy. That would be a first in OC's book. Max never overlooked that little detail.

"Damn, girl. For once you're listening to my sound advice sooner rather than later. Got me in a bit of a fit here, suga." OC said once she collected her thoughts.

"I don't know what it is about him." Max admitted, glancing back at Alec. OC followed her gaze to the forlorn figure at the bar. "He's just got me all kinds of confused. It used to be so easy. Love Logan and hate Alec. The hero and the screw-up. So easy to define. Now it's over with Logan and the love has simmered down to friendship. Alec, on the other hand, had become…more. Both as a person and to me. But I can't love him, can I?" Max said, looking at OC beseechingly.

Not expecting an admission as such – at least, not so soon – OC paused to consider what to say. "I don't see why not, Boo. He's proven himself time and again that you can count on him to get your back. Just because you two started off on the wrong foot don't mean you have to end that way. If you think there's something there, then don't hold back. You'll just make yourself miserable all over again. Take your boy over there." OC said, pointing over her shoulder.

"That boy never did learn how to express his emotions. Keeps 'em locked up tight because that's what he's been taught to do. He's fighting some serious feelings right now otherwise he'd be his usual happy-go-lucky self. It's only like this when somethin' big is bothering him. Perhaps you could change all that, ya' hear?"

"Yeah, I hear ya'." Max said distractedly, watching as Alec got up and started walking towards the exit. When she was finally able to catch his gaze, she smiled welcomingly in hope that he'd stop by and talk awhile. Instead, he waved feebly in their direction before continuing on up the steps and out the exit. It was a lot worse than she thought.

OC looked at her, a knowing expression on her face. "Boo, if you care about him, make a move. Don't drag it out like you did wit' Logan. Alec may be a transgenic and hence, can withstand a lot more than most, but he _is_ still a man. Remember that, Max." OC stated. Feeling that she'd already unloaded too much truth on Max, she changed the subject.

"Now, if we're done talkin' serious, your fine soul sista here needs to find some action of her own. You gonna be ai'ight if I split?" OC asked, placing a hand on Max's arm.

Max smiled at OC's remark, relieved the conversation was over, and replied "Yeah, I'll be alright. I was thinking of headin' out now, anyway. Early day at TC tomorrow. See you later?"

Standing up, OC held out her arms for Max. Max stood as well and leaned into her best friend's warm embrace. Both clung tightly to each other.

"Yeah, suga. I'll see ya' later." OC said, squeezing Max tightly once more before finally letting go. When they stepped apart, OC held Max's gaze and said "Don't leave that boy hangin' much longer, ya' hear? And that may not be the way I swing, but I'm gonna want details."

Max rolled her eyes and smiled, swatting at her friend. "I hear ya'. I gotta blaze." she said and turned away from OC.

OC watched as her Boo made her way through the crowd and up the stairs. Those two had been dancing around each other for way too long. She could tell by the way they acted around each other that their feelings towards each other had changed and she hoped that Max would be able to step up and come correct. Turning away as well, OC headed deeper into the crowd.

Once Max reached street level, she walked over to her beloved Ninja and swung one leg over. Putting on her riding glasses, she gunned the engine and took off. However, she hadn't been completely honest with OC. She needed some more time to think, and what better place to do that than the Space Needle?

Despite the fact that it was dangerous to be out and about like this, she didn't much care at the moment. It was still relatively safe for X5s like herself to live a normal life. Well, semi-normal anyway. It was only a matter of time though before she'd be forced to choose between her normal life and her transgenic one. She all but lived at TC now, helping bring in all her lost transgenic brethren. The only time she saw OC was at work.

Parking her bike near the entrance to the Needle, she cut the engine and climbed off. Pulling off her glasses, she walked to the elevator and took it up as far as she could. When she reached the restaurant level, she finished the trek to the observation deck and beyond on foot. Once she carefully made her way to the edge, she sat down and hugged her knees to her chest.

Looking out over the large expanse of glittering lights and blackness gave her a sense of complacency. It was late, but time didn't mean much to her now. It never did, really; not with her shark DNA. During the day it was all about everyone else and their problems. But right now…the night was her time. And she could spend it however she wanted.

oooaooo*oooxo*oozooovooo*oowooouooo

A/N – How'd I do? There was a lot going on in this chapter with all the flashbacks. I hope it wasn't too confusing. And I couldn't resist the closet scene. It's something I've always wanted to write. Probably won't be the last either ;-) Until next time...


	3. Memories and Attracting Attention

Author's note: Oh my God! It's crazy-insane how all of you that reviewed have left me such great feedback! And a few of you have even given me new scene ideas to play around with! Thank you all that have reviewed thus far! Other forms of scene inspiration include lines from Bring it on, Ultraviolet, and Serenity respectively. As a sidenote, if you listen to the music as you read, I suggest you listen to 'Driven under' first. And read carefully, it starts out a little bumpy. Here's the argument scene some of you asked for. I hope it's sufficient.

Music suggestions: 'Driven under' by Seether, 'False pretense' by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, 'Scars' by Papa Roach.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything Dark Angel related. As I've read elsewhere, I'm just playing in their universe for awhile.

Chapter 3

_Max struggled as Alec hauled her off her bike and dragged her down the alley beside them. Both the bikes lay haphazardly at the mouth of the alley as Max finally wrenched herself free and balled her hands into fists._

"_Where the hell do you get off?" Max forced out incredulously, glaring at Alec as the rain pelted down on them with thunderstorm quality._

_He returned the expression. "What the hell were you thinking, taking on all those thugs, huh?" Alec retorted. "Max, you could have been hurt. And what about exposure? Did you ever think about that? This could get back to someone we'd rather not have come knocking on your doorstep."_

"_I don't give a damn, Alec. Besides, what else was I supposed to do? I couldn't very well let them beat me down and Lord only knows what else. I've never backed down from a fight, especially when they're dumb enough to start it. And while everyone has their right to act like a dumbass once in a while, they were abusing the privilege. So get off my case about exposure and getting hurt. I knew what I was getting into." Max yelled out defensively, her hands on her hips and inching up closer to him._

"_No, you were being impulsive. How did you know that none of them were concealing a gun? Because when I checked all of them over, three of them were packing heat. You may be transgenic, Max, but you can't take out everyone that stands against you. You got lucky today, that's all." Alec countered, stepping up closer to her as well. _

_Neither realized the distance receding between them, of course._

"_What does it matter to you, anyway? It wasn't your fight and I handed their asses to them. Furthermore, this is sector eight, so I highly doubt anyone will be spreading the word to the authorities. Why did you have to manhandle me down this alley to bitch at me?" Max yelled out, throwing her arms up to gesture at the dank and dark alley surrounding them._

"_I care about you, Max. Is that so hard to believe? I just don't want to see you hurt." Alec said in a frustrated tone, running a hand through his hair distractedly._

_Max was taken aback. She really hadn't known that he cared that much for her well being. Now that she thought back though, what other reason would he have to always be there for an 'Eyes Only' mission or some other life-threatening event that frequented her life?_

"_That's just great, Max. Why don't you open your eyes once in awhile? You might actually see something." Alec continued bitterly when Max said nothing. Looking at her despairingly one last time, he climbed back on his bike and rode off, leaving her dazed and confused once again. Except this time, it wasn't damn near as pleasant. She still got all flushed and tingly when she thought about those few moments in that storage closet._

_Shaking her head to clear the cobwebs of confusion, she stared after him as he once again got the last word. The further he got, the more pissed off she became. How dare he? Why couldn't she just smack him and tell him to "shut up" to end an argument anymore?_

_And why wouldn't he come back and sweep her off her feet like he did in that broom closet?_

_Then suddenly he was there, pedaling back around into the alley they'd been arguing in. A smile spread across her face as he jumped off his bike, letting it crash to the ground as he walked towards her. His eyes were dark and predatory as he pulled his messenger bag over his shoulder and tossed it aside as well. His eyes never left hers as he stalked closer, not saying a word._

_Once he was close enough, Max leapt onto him, crashing her lips against his. He backed her forcefully against the cool brick wall behind her. She grunted at the impact but continued to kiss him with an intensity that she couldn't recall ever using with anyone else. All she knew was that she needed him, and she intended to show him just how much…_

Jerking awake, Max sat up and looked around warily. She was in her bedroom. Alone. It had just been a dream. The argument hadn't been a dream, however. Transgenics _do_ remember everything. And that had been her subconscious giving her its feedback from the argument that she'd had with Alec earlier that day.

She'd eventually returned home from the Space Needle to an empty apartment. At least _someone_ was getting some lovin' tonight. Apparently OC had succeeded in finding some action. As she fought down the jealousy bubbling up within, she'd trudged on to bed and hoped for a few dreamless hours of sleep before having to be at TC that morning.

So much for that idea.

Groaning and falling back against her pillow, she rubbed her eyes in an attempt to remove the images her subconscious had produced. It was apparent that her body was ready for Alec…even if her heart wasn't quite there yet. She just prayed she wouldn't be entering a heat cycle any time soon. Because there'd be no question as to her resistance – or lack thereof - if Alec happened to be near.

oooomoo*ooooooxoo*ooooozo*ooooeoooo

Not even two days later, she was given the perfect opportunity to square things off with Alec as she had promised OC. However, it was a hell of a time getting to that particular event. A small group of transgenics had been trapped deep within Seattle and too far away to make it on foot safely. It would have been easy enough to go collect them, the only problem was that the connection was cut before they could get an exact location. Thankfully, it had been a Sunday so no work and they could spend the entire day, if need be, searching.

Bringing along Cece and Biggs, as well as Alec, they took a van and split into two groups once they reached the general vicinity of the group's last known location from tracing the call. The trace hadn't been complete due to the abrupt cutoff. So, Biggs and Cece went in one direction and Max and Alec went in the other. They'd already searched two areas with no success and were searching the third when someone must have tipped off the locals that transgenics were in the area. And what was more perplexing was how they knew that she and Alec were transgenics. There were angry mobs forming nearly everywhere they went. Soon she and Alec were running for their lives.

"We need to get back to TC, now!" Max yelled as they ran down a narrow alley.

Looking both directions once they reached the end of the alley, Alec spotted an effective mode of escape – transportation. Transportation of the high-end, Ducati 349 Classic, motorcycle variety.

"This way." Alec said, grabbing Max's wrist and dragging her across the street to the motorcycle in question. Max's eyes widened in surprise when he stopped in front of the sleek, silver motorcycle.

"Alec, you can't be serious. You're not gonna be able to jack that before they catch up with us. We've lost them for the time being, but that isn't bound to last." Max said as Alec swung his leg over the bike and began fiddling with the controls.

"Watch me." he said as he peeled open a panel in the center console. "Now get on." he commanded.

Saving the argument for later, Max climbed on behind him, wrapping her arms loosely around his torso and checking the surrounding area for any sign of their pursuers. Hearing sirens in the distance, she clucked her tongue in frustration and muttered "Hurry up, Alec."

"Any second…" Alec trailed off as the bike purred to life. "Ah…just listen to her. Have you ever heard a sweeter sound?" Alec sighed wistfully as he snapped the panel back in place.

Rolling her eyes and swiveling around to look over her shoulder, she hissed in a sing-song tone "Now is not the time." Police lights and a couple hover drones were closing in.

"You see, Max? That's what is wrong with you." Alec stated mock-dramatically. "You never stop and savor the few beauties we're presented in this world. If only you'd just…"

"Alec," Max gritted out, cutting him off on his diatribe. Looking over her shoulder again furtively, she noticed their mob friends approaching as well.

Without warning, Alec suddenly clutched the throttle and spun out of the space the motorcycle was parked in, forcing Max to cling to him tightly as the bike did a near-180 and shot out of the space and swerved onto the road.

"Alec, we're going in the wrong direction." Max stated calmly and matter-of-factly as they sped towards the oncoming cop cars. There looked to be about four total, forming a diamond.

"Maxie, now is not the time to become a backseat driver." Alec said as he concentrated on the road and tried to recall how close they were to the alley he required for his plan to work. The timing had to be just right. "I know what I'm doing. I've got a plan."

"Oh, of course. Well that makes everything just great then." Max bit out sarcastically.

"If you don't mind, I'm trying to concentrate here." Alec forced out, his patience thinning. He thanked all above that nobody was shooting at them yet.

Weaving through the oncoming traffic that was ahead of the police cars, they were quickly approaching the alley that ran straight through the next three blocks and would put them one step closer to Terminal City and away from this mess. If only they could reach it before the cops did. The cars would be too wide to fit through the narrow alley.

"Wow. Now there's something I thought I'd never witness." Max said, refusing to be silent until she understood why they were speeding _closer_ to those they were trying to escape.

"Max! Shut up for, like, five seconds so I can get us out of here!" Alec shouted over his shoulder, patience cracking. Max's mouth snapped shut in shock.

Alec laid flat against the motorcycle as he realized they were almost there. Time seemed to move in slow motion. Three seconds. They were practically on top of their pursuers. Two seconds. He wasn't going to have enough room to turn safely. One second. They were mere feet from colliding from the lead car.

"Hang on!" Alec yelled as he jerked down on the brakes and the tail-end of the bike rose up from the ground. It turned 90 degrees in the air to their right and dropped down to the ground, leaving them not even one foot from the front bumper of the lead police car as it screeched to a halt.

Max smiled a crooked smile and waggled her fingers at them in a small wave before Alec took off down the alley directly in front of them before the cops could even climb out of their cars and train their guns on them. The cops and all the local bystanders stared dumbfounded at the taillights of the motorcycle as it sped away from them to safety.

"Call Biggs and Cece." Alec said once they'd put a safe amount of distance between them and trouble. "See if they ran into any similar problems. Phone's in my right jacket pocket."

Unable to say anything, she released her grip on him enough to feel around his jacket pocket for the phone in question. She still couldn't believe he'd told her to shut up. He'd never done that before. She had to admit, though, that the driving may have also contributed just the slightest bit to her state of silence.

Finally finding the phone, she pulled it out and flipped it open. Dialing the number with one hand while holding onto Alec with the other, she said conversationally "Don't ever tell me to shut up again."

"Wouldn't have to, Maxie, if you'd just do it yourself once in awhile." Alec threw over his shoulder, smirking.

oooooowoo*oooozoo*oooonooo*oooomoooo*

A/N – I took a few liberties with the motorcycle boosting. Considering the closest I've been to a motorcycle is wistfully watching them drive past me, I have no clue as to the inner workings of such a machine. I hope you all liked. The story is now in the same timeframe as "Love among the runes", considering the whole thermal-reader devices, which is how the locals knew Max and Alec were transgenics. And just so you know, I'll be getting to the 'square-down' scene with Alec in the next chapter – you didn't miss it, I just didn't have enough room in this chapter. Another sidenote: the actual argument between those two didn't quite go as far as it did in Max's dream. That was only Max's brain telling her to make a move already with Alec. If you have any questions or comments, don't be afraid to ask. Until next time…


	4. Introductions and Discussions

Author's note – I'll put your minds at ease right now. I couldn't believe that they (meaning the show) killed off Biggs and Cece. I personally would never have done such a thing. So in my story, both live and interact with the rest of my fanfiction world. Off-kilter as it may be ;-)

Music Suggestions – 'Shut me out' by Kutless, 'In too deep' by Sum 41, 'Crazy for this girl' by Evan and Jaron, 'I don't want to be' by Gavin DeGraw.

Disclaimer – Dark Angel does not belong to me. I'll keep repeating it to keep my mind from deluding itself otherwise.

Chapter 4

"It was a setup." Max stated, pacing around the main meeting area in TC's command center, waiting for Biggs and Cece to return. She hadn't been able to contact them from Alec's cell phone.

"Not possible." Alec said matter-of-factly as he watched Max pace back and forth in front of him from his seat. "I knew 629 at Manticore. He wouldn't lead us into a trap, no matter the circumstances. And it was him, I recognized his voice and designation from the recorder playback."

"Then what do you suggest, huh? How'd we almost get our asses handed to us back there?" Max bit out, frustrated.

Alec leaned out, grabbed her arm, and jerked her down onto the sofa next to him as she passed in front of him again. Caught off guard by the action, she let him pull her down.

"Relax, would ya? I don't know. I guess we just got lucky." Alec said as Max sent a murderous glare at him. Her retort was cut off though, by the announcement that Biggs and Cece had returned.

Sending momentary glances at each other, Alec took a hold of Max's hand and stood up, pulling her along and racing out of the building. Parting the crowd as they passed, Alec and Max found their way to the back of the van where Biggs and Cece were standing, along with three other unfamiliar X5s. They all looked a little worse for the wear, but otherwise unharmed.

"Hey, buddy. Get lost?" Biggs teased Alec when he caught sight of them when Biggs looked over his shoulder. His arm was around Cece's waist and turned them both around to face Alec. Cece rolled her eyes at Max and both grinned.

"Funny." Alec said humorlessly, but smiled a small smile regardless. "Speaking of lost, what took _you_ so long?" Alec countered.

"Oh, you know. The women wanted to take the scenic route." Biggs replied off-handedly.

One of the unknown X5 females raised an eyebrow while the rest of her facial expression was impassive. The other gave Biggs a withering look. Max had a feeling she was gonna like those two.

"Scenic route. Of Seattle. Sounds interesting." Max said sarcastically.

"There something you two not telling us?" Biggs said, gesturing to Max and Alec's linked hands.

Both looked down, back up in shock, and stepped apart as if the other were infected with a deadly contagion.

"No." Max said.

"Of course not." Alec replied at the same time.

"So, why don't you introduce us to your new friends here." Max said shortly after to change the subject.

The three new X5s took this as their cue to speak, and not giving Biggs or Cece time to talk, they each sounded off.

"Rush. X5-183." Answered the first female. She had reddish-brown hair with curls similar to Max's back in the day, and deep blue eyes. She was the one that had raised an eyebrow at Bigg's earlier comment.

"Circe. X5-258." Replied the brunette standing next to Rush. At Max's raised eyebrow, Circe elaborated. "Specialized in foreign relations. Particularly the Mediterranean. Mythology became a little hobby of mine. And while I can't necessarily turn men into animals, I've been surrounded by part animals my entire life. Especially men, most of which are already pretty much there, without Manticore's help. I thought it fit quite nicely." Circe finished, a smug grin on her face and her hand on her hip. With her long, wavy brown hair, haunting green eyes, and ethereal features, she did almost look like a Grecian goddess.

Lastly, the sole male stepped forward, the one that had made the call earlier.

"X5-629. Kutless." he said, his voice a rich baritone. It sent a pleasant shiver down Max's spine. As she looked around, it also appeared that every other X5 female in the vicinity was completely captivated as well.

"Ever heard of the pre-Pulse band?" Alec asked, inching forward slightly in front of Max, unconsciously asserting his claim.

Max noticed the defensive gesture and frowned at his odd behavior. Kutless seemed nice enough.

Kutless smiled knowingly at Alec's small gesture of possessiveness. She didn't much look like his type anyway.

"Where do you think I got the name? First song I heard after the escape was by them. Thought it worked, so I kept it." Kutless explained.

"Cool." Alec said. He then clapped his hands together to break the uncomfortable silence and said, "Well, Biggs or Cece will take you inside to get you rooms and situated, alright?"

Kutless nodded and followed Biggs into Command, and the two girls trailed along behind him. Half of the remaining X5 females followed along behind him, transfixed, as well.

Max simply shook her head, bemused. He wasn't even here for fifteen minutes and he already had a makeshift harem if he cared enough to notice. She turned to look at Alec, who was staring after Kutless with a mixture of jealousy and resentment. As if he needed to be jealous. Just about any female would be more than happy to fall into bed with him at his asking.

And she resented him for it because she was now one of them.

"I don't like him." Alec muttered after the new X5 had gone inside.

"Oh, come off it. You're just jealous." Max taunted him.

"Whatever." he replied and turned in the opposite direction. Max followed along behind him.

"Where are you going?" Max asked when he straddled his newly acquired motorcycle. He had to be careful with that bike until he could get new plates and a key for it.

"Home, Max. We've got work tomorrow, remember?" Alec replied, starting the motorcycle.

She stopped and listened to the bike's softly purring engine. He was right. That bike was exquisite. Damn near perfect in every way. _Almost _better than her Ninja.

"We need to talk." Max stated seriously, looking from the bike up to his face.

Alec sighed, exasperated. His head fell back before looking over at Max.

"Now?" he asked, annoyed.

"We could go back to your place. Just let me grab my bike, okay?" Max said, placating.

"Catch me if you can." he said in challenge, taking off. Max growled in frustration, running to her bike just across the way and hopped on, starting it and peeling off before her butt was fully on the seat.

oooooouo*oooowooo*oooosooo*oooonoooo

A/N – Not too much further to go; just another chapter or two. Nevertheless, Max will confront Alec about her feelings, as well as his, in the next chapter. Something to look forward to, I'd say. ;-) Until next time…


	5. A Little PickMe Up

Author's note: Here's the next installment. Hope you enjoy.

Music suggestions: 'Used to' by Daughtry, 'Sweet child o mine' by Guns n' Roses, 'When you're gone' by Avril Lavigne.

Disclaimer: Still don't own Dark Angel. Couldn't afford the payments.

Chapter 5

"You _so_ cheated, you asshole." Max laughed out, punching him in the shoulder as they made their way up the stairs to his apartment, Alec having beaten her there by seconds.

Alec laughed as well and rubbed his shoulder. "Damn, Max. Can't you ever come up with anything more original?" he teased. "And I did not cheat. I can't help it if my motorcycle's faster than yours."

"I highly doubt that. And I can insult you however I wish, thank you very much." Max said haughtily.

"Is that so? I'm thinking we'll have to discuss that later." Alec replied over his shoulder as he unlocked the door to his apartment and held his arm out for Max to go in first. She strode past him as if she, in fact, owned the place instead of him. He rolled his eyes and followed.

Max sat down on his couch and looked over at Alec, who was shutting and relocking the door. It was nice, just hanging out like this. It wasn't ever like this with Logan. They'd never necessarily been on bad terms, but there was always this gap between them that kept her from really letting her true colors show. Sure, she still loved him, but it was no longer romantic-like. What was romantic love, anyway? She'd read a quote in a Hallmark card once that read 'Love is friendship on fire.' There was no fire with Logan, that she knew of. Friendship definitely. But no fire, no passion. It's not like she could blame him, though. There may have been fire at one time, but Manticore and the virus, hell even her screwed-up personality, had leeched it all away.

She continued to watch Alec as he shrugged off his leather jacket and moved towards the kitchen area. Now Alec was different. So unlike Logan, it wasn't even funny. He was…wild. Every girl's fantasy of the bad boy. He practically oozed sex appeal and made sure the whole world knew he was God's gift to women. An attitude probably brought about as a form of defiance from Manticore. She had no idea how he did it, but he drew out so much of the old Max, the one from before Seattle. The one from LA that didn't care about what anyone thought and didn't put her transgenic abilities on the backburner. It was nice to have someone that could keep up with her and not have to hold back. It made her think of other...pleasurable activities that would no doubt be even more intense than she could ever imagine.

"Want something to drink?" Alec asked from the refrigerator, pulling Max from her thoughts.

"Whatcha got?" she asked, straining to look over the counter to see the refrigerator as well as a nice view of his rear end with an eyebrow raised appraisingly as he bent over to look inside.

"Beer, water, and milk." Alec replied, perusing the refrigerator for options.

"Milk?" Max asked skeptically.

"What?" Alec retorted defensively. "Cereal, for one. The other, good for a case of the shivers should they ever arise."

"Jeez, just askin'. You never know how fresh some things are in a man's refrigerator. Beer." Max said, holding up a hand in truce as well as to catch the beer he tossed her.

After tossing her a bottle, he took one for himself. Closing the fridge, he twisted off the cap and moved to sit down next to Max on the couch. He propped one arm up on the arm of the couch and looked at Max questioningly.

"So…you wanted to talk." he said in a coaxing tone.

Max took a swig of her beer and sat it down on the coffee table in front of her. Now that she was here, she had no clue as to what to say or where to start.

"This is nice, you know? Just relaxin', havin' a beer. Don't get to do it very often anymore." Max said, temporarily skirting the main reason she was here.

"I hear ya. Haven't had a decent 'guys night' with Biggs in weeks." Alec said wistfully.

"Do I wanna know?" Max said warily, looking at him out of the corner of her eye.

Alec looked at her sideways, a mischievous smirk gracing his lips. "Probably not." he said, taking a swig from his beer.

Max just shook her head in amusement. Turning serious, she said "I hate this waiting. Soon enough, it's all gonna boil over. The ordinaries, the familiars, all our other brothers and sisters out there that don't understand the world they've been released into…so many are gonna get caught in the crossfire. Alec, what are we gonna do? What _can_ we do?" Max said quietly, feeling lost and resting her arms on her drawn up knees.

Alec simply sat there, at a loss for what to say. He wasn't used to this Max. Bitchy and violent, he could handle. But confused and down? That was something he saw rarely. And it usually came out of nowhere. It just proved how unpredictable a woman she really was. Scooting closer to Max, he first sat his beer on the table as well before he put an arm over her shoulder and pulled her into his side as he had done when she told him about Ben.

For when in doubt, going with the simple physical comforts was best.

"I don't know, Max." he replied.

She relaxed into his side, resting her head on his shoulder. They both just sat there for several minutes, no words passing between them.

"Alec?" Max asked awhile later.

"Hmm?" he replied.

"Why did you stay? Here, in Seattle. You could've left a long time ago." she asked, looking up at him from his shoulder.

He smiled. "Well, there was this one girl from way back in the day that lectured me on how it's inhuman to abandon a fellow soldier." he said, looking down at her with a slight smile.

"Sounds like someone I'd like." Max said, knowing full well that it was her. "And who is this 'fellow soldier' you stayed for?" she asked seriously.

"Well, now it's every X5 and anomaly out there. But to be honest, it all started with you. So I guess I could say that it's all your fault I'm still around." Alec said, adding the last part to detract from the seriousness of the statement.

"Do you mean that?" Max asked, sitting up slightly. A warm, pleasant feeling settled in the pit of her stomach at his words, regardless of how he phrased it. "Am I really the reason you never left?"

Hoping he wasn't completely screwing up this whole friendship thing they had, he ventured on. It was now or never.

"Yeah, I guess you are. There's just something about you, Max, that makes people listen to you and follow you. You're like a Spartan warrior that refuses to bow down or retreat. And if anything _does_ happen and the whole world turns against us, you'll be there to lead us all through the storm. Because that's just who you are. And why I'd never leave your side." Alec said, looking away in the direction of the blank TV screen to avoid her poignant stare.

Max was completely floored by the admission. He could've dropped the 'L' word and she wouldn't have been more surprised. How could he _not_ play a pivotal role in her life? She now understood why she depended on him so much. And how she had come to care for him so deeply.

"I love you, Alec." Max blurted out, not thinking to check her words. Her hands flew up to her mouth, looking more shocked by the admission than he did. And that was saying something. His mouth opened, and then closed with no words coming out. The process repeated itself two more times before he just gave up speaking, a completely dumbfounded look gracing his features.

Had anyone else walked into the room at the moment, the situation would have been almost comical.

While berating herself repeatedly, Max let her hands fall from her mouth. Did that really just come out of her mouth? There she went, thinking about him saying it, and she had to go and do it herself. How was she supposed to explain her way out of this one? Sure, that was what she'd more or less came to do, but not in such a candid way. Love? She hadn't even been able to say it out loud to Logan. Hadn't been able to say it to his face even once.

Yet, here she was, sitting next to the man she once considered a smart-aleck, pain in the ass, screw up after she'd just blurted out those three small words without any effort at all. How did that even happen? She hadn't even thought about how she felt, it had just come out naturally.

Still unable to form a coherent thought and say it vocally, Alec seized Max by her shoulders and pulled her into his lap. She didn't even have time to register the change or even blink before his lips had descended onto hers, expressing his sentiments physically.

You wouldn't hear her complaining.

However, the position she was in was rather awkward. So without breaking contact, Max lifted her right leg up and between them, brushing against Alec's chest onward to its final placement on his other side. The resulting position was not only more comfortable for Max, but gave Alec the added benefit of feeling her breasts pressed up against his chest. How could he forget how wonderful that had felt? The memories just didn't do it justice.

"Alec?" Max purred seductively in his ear after they'd momentarily broken apart. "Would you mind repeating what you did to me in the broom closet a few weeks back?"

"Don't have any closets except for the one in my bedroom and it doesn't have a door." Alec replied, trailing light kisses along her neck while answering distractedly.

"You don't say?" Max said sarcastically, starting slightly and gasping in surprise when he nipped at her neck playfully in response to her sarcasm. "What I meant was the actions. We don't need a closet for you to push me up against a wall." Max elaborated, slowly losing coherent thought as he grabbed her rear and stood up, carrying her along as well before she could even finish the sentence. She wrapped her legs around him and rubbed her nose against his neck in appreciation.

"Oh, okay. You mean like this?" Alec said, pressing her up against the nearest wall, meeting her eyes briefly in challenge before returning to his previous occupation on her neck and rocking his hips up against her center.

Her eyes rolled back into her head and her head thumped back against the wall in pleasure. It felt like heaven what he was doing to her. Not that she necessarily knew what heaven was, but this felt pretty damn close in her book.

"Mmm…yes, Alec. Right there. Just…" Max moaned out when he seemingly read her mind and began to press against her even harder.

Abandoning his place at her neck, Alec placed his lips back on hers, kissing her to muffle all the pleasurable noises she was emitting. It really must have been a long time. She kept ignoring her own needs for the sake of those she loved and felt responsible for.

And that's why she had him. To give her the things she kept denying herself. The first of which was a proper orgasm, if he had anything to say about it. He'd be more than happy to oblige to that particular need.

When he felt her fingers clawing down the bare skin of his back and her thighs tighten around him imperceptibly, he knew he'd never be able to have sex with another woman for as long as he lived. Because now that he was with her, with Max, there was no going back. Neither of them had shed a single layer of clothing, yet the fire that was burning inside of him was indescribable.

Besides, he had a feeling she wouldn't let him sleep around again even if he wanted to.

"Max?" Alec asked as he trailed kisses along her jawline. He received a hum that he interpreted as a sign to continue. "What else would you like me to do?"

"Mmm…touch me." Max said sedately, her eyes still closed as Alec continued to press his hips against hers in a languid rhythm.

"Um, Max? Kind of doing that already." Alec said, the hint of a smirk gracing his lips.

Max regained enough of her senses to open her eyes and look at him irritably for a few moments before taking one of his hands in her own and, lifting up her shirt with her other hand, placed his hand over her breast and then released it.

She had the feeling he was a quick learner.

And that he was. He'd just been teasing her, anyway. Old habits die hard, after all.

One of Max's hands was clinging to Alec's back while the other was embedded within his hair, guiding him back down to her neck. He happily obliged with her demand and once again became reacquainted with said body part.

It was all exactly what she needed. It was so bizarre, how he seemed to know all the right places to touch her to send her body out of orbit. The almost painful biting, the rough fondling, and his repeated rubbing against her center accumulated and resulted in one of the slowest building, yet mindblowing, orgasms she'd ever had. And she still had on every article of clothing that she had walked through the door with. She bit her bottom lip as her body tightened and then began to spasm around him. She moaned deep in her throat, a deep husky sound that shook Alec to the core.

"Mmm…thanks. I really needed that." Max moaned out once she trusted herself enough to speak. The most sated, completely tranquil look settled over her features as she brought her arms up to drape around his neck.

"I'm glad I could help." Alec said honestly, his face glowing in pride at the comment and squeezing her breast one last time before returning his hand to its former place on her hip. However, that was nothing compared to what he had in store for her. He intended to make love to her all night for as long as she could handle. For even though it wasn't what Manticore had intended, he was designed for high endurance and stamina.

"What about you?" Max asked, feeling him still pressed up against her intimately. It was only fair, after all. Besides, she couldn't wait to see and feel every inch of his body pressed against her with no barriers between them.

"What did you have in mind?" Alec asked curiously as her eyes lit up impishly and trailed her finger down the front of his chest slowly.

oooooeooo*ooowooo*ooooooco*oooxoooo

A/N – (Gasp!) Oh my God! Is that a cliffhanger? It's not that bad. The chapter was so long already and I still have quite a way to go. Well, not too much longer, one more chapter should cover it. So I decided to break it off there and polish off the rest in the next chapter. What can I say? I'm all about foreplay. I hope Max and Alec weren't too out of character. I always find it difficult to cross over that friendship line, getting just the right setup without being too awkward. And I'll admit, I've been reading Sherrilyn Kenyon and Linda Howard, so if you know who they are, you'll know I've got a wealth of influence in the..."mature situations" area. So be prepared ;-) Until next time…


	6. A New Game to Play

Author's Note: Totally random thought... I don't know about you all, but one of the first things I love and seek out from a guy is how good he smells. It'll make sense later on in the story. Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think or if you see any mistakes. I definitely don't mind a little constructive criticism or grammatical correction here and there.

Music Suggestions: 'Poison' by Alice Cooper, 'Forever' by Papa Roach, 'Angel' by Aerosmith, 'Let you down' by Default.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Cameron Eglee Productions and FOX. The original characters and plot are the property of the author (which is me, enchantra626 in this particular case). I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 6

Her grin turning playful, Max unwound her legs from his body and motioned for him to let her down. Once her feet were on the floor, she pulled him down towards her and kissed him with such intensity that it left them both breathless.

Looking down, Max drew a line down Alec's torso again and grabbed a hold on his belt buckle. Tugging him along gently, she led him back to the couch and gently shoved him onto it with the hand still holding onto his pants. As a result, she ended up leaning over him with her hair tumbling over her shoulders and her lips a hair's breath from his. Dragging a trail along his jaw with her tongue to his ear, she twirled the tip around the outer shell towards the inside before tugging on it lightly with her teeth. She felt him shiver slightly at the contact.

Smiling against his ear, she whispered, "Find me, and you'll be in for a treat." Placing a feather-light kiss on his lips, she stood and said in a mock-chastising tone "Count to ten and _don't_ peek."

Smiling that infuriating smirk, he placed his hands over his eyes and started counting slowly. He had nothing against playing games, especially if Max was willing and wanting. It was a side of Max he'd like to get better acquainted with.

Max already knew exactly where she was going. Sneaking stealthily down the hall, she walked into his bedroom and over to his closet. Before diving in, she paused and took a deep breath. She absolutely loved how Alec smelled. It wasn't that he had a distinct smell or anything, but it was that fresh, almost sweet scent that mixed with his own body chemistry that gave her a sense of comfort and consistency.

The last and only time she'd caught him coming out of the shower, she about died from how good she had felt when his scent hit her nose. If she hadn't have been so worried about the gossamer and the time-constraints on the temporary cure with Logan, she might have stood there all night, her eyes closed and her nose breathing in his scent and surrounding herself in a cocoon of pure bliss. Sure it sounded crazy and she hadn't understood it herself at the time, but with her heightened senses, she couldn't help but be attracted to an absolutely fantastic smelling man.

"Ten." Max heard from the living room.

Starting slightly, she blurred out of her clothes, almost tripping over herself to don the shirt she had chosen. She'd seen him wear it on numerous occasions and had a particular liking to it herself. Running her fingers through her hair nervously, she then took a deep cleansing breath and adopted an alluring pose just inside the doorway.

He appeared moments later. What stood before him took his breath away. It was Max. And she was wearing one of his long sleeved, button-up shirts and her bra dangling from one finger. The look she was sending his way felt as if it were searing a hole straight through his clothes, displeased that he was so overdressed. Only the last few buttons on the shirt were buttoned, leaving most of the area between her breasts exposed while still hiding the goods. It made his mouth water at the sight of her wearing his clothes. He took a step forward, but she held a hand out in a gesture for him to stop. He looked at her curiously.

"This is the way I see it." Max stated evenly, a Cheshire grin on her lips. "Am I wearing a matching set," twirling the bra around her finger, "or not? Guess right and I'll let you keep both. You can do whatever you want with them. And, I'll do whatever you ask. But if not, I get to be on top for as long as I wish. With no objections." She added when he made to speak.

"Sounds like I win in either case." Alec said, his eyes traveling over her hungrily. He took another step towards her.

She held her hand back up and 'tsked' him. "Matching or not?" Max asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Come on, don't I even get a hint?" Alec whined.

Max merely stared at him, waiting for an answer.

Alec sighed wearily. "Alright. Not." he replied, shifting from one foot to the other.

Max's eyes widened slightly in surprise before narrowing suspiciously. "How did you know?"

His head cocked to one side before replying. "Because I called you this morning about the transgenic retrieval and you were at command not even fifteen minutes later. It takes at least ten from your apartment to here. That doesn't leave much time to search for matching underwear, now does it?" Alec explained logically while taking the few steps required to stand right in front of her.

"Besides," he continued as he trailed his fingertips along her face from her ear to her chin, lifting her gaze up to his. "You strike me as the type of woman that doesn't care that much about that sort of thing. It's something else that personifies you. You take comfort here," he said, bring one hand up to cup and then knead her breast gently through the cloth of the shirt. She trembled at his touch but didn't break eye contact. "But can't help wearing something that makes you feel desirable, a woman to be lusted after." He concluded, unbuttoning each button slowly as he spoke until his hand could trail freely down her stomach to rub against her center lightly on the outside of her lacy panties. She splayed her hands against his chest as her eyes closed and she bit her lip to keep from moaning out in pleasure.

"You said you'd do whatever I asked." Alec said, easing Max backward towards his bed. She nodded mutely, but didn't respond due the sensations coursing through her body. Laying her down gently, he pulled his own shirt over his head before settling down beside her, laying on his side with his head propped up on a hand and trailing a fingertip lightly down the center of her breasts that were still covered by the shirt. As his hand traveled even lower, easing underneath the lace and towards the nub that would send coursing waves of pleasure through her, he whispered against her ear hotly.

"Then don't hold back. I want to hear every moan, every sigh, every scream. I don't care how loud it is. That way I know that you're really here, beneath me, on top of me...that part hardly matters. Don't think about what the neighbors can hear or what they'll say. Right now, it's just you and me." Alec said, finally rubbing his thumb firmly against her clitoris while sliding two fingers insider of her. Max whimpered and clutched the sheets between her fists, aching for more.

"Alec," she moaned out, whimpering slightly and writhing against his hand as he continued to tease her with his hand. Her hips bucked against the hand between her legs in an effort to ease the tension coiling up within her body. It felt so good, but it wasn't enough. She needed more.

Seeing Max sprawled out across his bed, flushed with desire – for him – with his hand between her legs and touching her in a way that most men dreamed of, Alec couldn't deny the surge of emotion that swept over him as he realized that this was exactly what he wanted from life. To just lie here, making love to the woman he loved. Merely to be with Max. And hearing his name fall from her lips in such a primal fashion, almost broke what little restraint he had left. He wanted nothing more than to shed both of their remaining clothes and penetrate her uncharted depths. But first, he intended to make this a night she was sure to never forget. And foreplay was something he was exceptionally good at.

Trailing open mouthed kisses down her torso, Max inhaled sharply when she felt his mouth capture one of her nipples in his mouth, teasing it into a peak before placing a light peck on the inside and continuing his journey down. She watched with rapt fascination as his mouth moved even closer to that area that was already tingling with built up tension as his expert fingers continued to play her like a finely tuned instrument.

Slowly but surely, Max watched as Alec's head disappeared between her legs and she felt her underwear being pulled away from her body. She shuddered even harder when she felt his warm breath caressing her inner thighs.

_Please don't let this be a dream_. Max thought to herself as her eyes fluttered closed and she felt his tongue reach out to touch her intimately. She hissed and clenched her thighs around his head to keep him in place. She knew she wouldn't be able to hold out much longer. The things he was doing already had her body coiling up with tension begging to be released.

Max whimpered as she felt a tingly sensation pooling low in her stomach. Moments later, she screamed out with a climax so intense she was sure her whole body was singing with joy. Never had she experienced an orgasm so extraordinary.

Alec couldn't get enough her. When he looked up at her, her body glowing and her hair fanned out like a halo around her head as she lay there staring up at the ceiling with a look of pure amazement gracing her features, he couldn't help but love her in return.

He watched as she lifted one hand up to run her fingers through his hair. Her gaze was full of need and desire.

"I need you, Alec." she said quietly.

Removing the last of his clothing, Alec slid up Max's body until he was hovering above her propped up on his elbows.

He trailed his fingertips along her brow and down her face tenderly, simply staring at her. Max held his gaze and saw the emotions swirling about behind his eyes.

"Max, I…" he trailed off, struggling to say the words that had fallen from her lips so easily.

Max smiled gently and placed a finger against his lips. "I already know. Now show me."

Alec intended to do just that.

oooooro*ooooooaooo*oooouoo*oonooooooo

A/N – I tried so hard to write this so that it wouldn't read as tactless and distasteful. I'm an overachiever by nature, so that was another reason why it took so long to get this out. I wanted to be as good as I could possibly make it. I hope I didn't disappoint too much. And I reversed the roles for the whole "L" word. Remember how hard it was for her to say it to Logan? Now it's Alec that's having a difficult time. Worry not, he will get around to it. Until next time…


	7. Morning After Talks and Maybe Dates

Author's note: Hello, everybody! I don't really know what to say. Usually I have something to ramble on about to start with, but right now I've got nothing. So, with that said…

Music selections: 'If you're gonna leave' by Emerson Hart, 'Breath' by Breaking Benjamin, 'No one like you' by The Scorpions.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Cameron Eglee Productions and FOX. The original characters and plot are the property of the author (which is me, enchantra626 in this particular case). I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 7

It was early the next morning that Max woke to the wonderful feeling of a warm, male body pressed against her back. She sighed and stretched out her sore muscles, arching her body around Alec's. When she settled back into his embrace, he wrapped one arm around her and trailed it lightly up and down her body.

"You are so beautiful." Alec murmured as he trailed his hand along Max's side, merely gazing at his fingers as they grazed past her hip that was underneath the covers, before reversing direction. Max lay with her back pressed against his front, with her head lying on the pillow while Alec had his head propped up on his other hand.

Max smiled and turned her head so that she could look at him over her shoulder.

"Right back at you." Max said, rubbing her nose against his lightly before turning over so that she was facing him. She adopted his posture, bracing her other arm in front of her breasts just to tease him.

"Come on, Max. We were just having a moment." Alec complained when he looked down between them and could tell she was preparing to talk. She had that look, after all. It was that 'I'm about to ask you to do something you don't want to do' look.

Max rolled her eyes but kept smiling. It seemed impossible not to, at the moment. It felt as though contentment and happiness seemed to radiate from every pore of her being.

"Alec, what are we supposed to do now?" Max asked, knowing the question and conversation were unavoidable.

"I could think of a few things we haven't tried." Alec replied suggestively, scooting up against her and snaking his free hand down between her legs.

"Alec…mmm…that's, that's not what I meant…oh, yes. Right there…" Max trailed off as Alec effectively distracted her. Moments later she forgot her entire train of thought as Alec continued to pleasure her. Whatever it was, it could wait.

ooooooro*ooovooooo*oomooozoo*

"I'm gonna go take a shower." Max said, unwrapping herself from Alec's embrace and getting out of bed. Her body instantly felt the loss of his warmth but tamped down on those thoughts and steadied her resolve. As much as she wanted to, they couldn't stay here any longer. Hell, they'd even ditched work. It was now nightfall Monday night.

"Would you like some company?" Alec asked hopefully, his face lighting up. He even began to climb out of bed as well.

"No!" Max said rather forcefully as she gathered up her clothes. Turning towards him, her gaze softened when she saw the crestfallen look gracing his features. Touching his face gently, she patted his cheek a few times and continuing in a nicer tone, "As much as I would enjoy that, we can't stay here forever, Alec. And I really do need a shower. If I let you in, there would be no actual cleansing take place."

Alec nuzzled her hand before turning his head and kissing her palm. Then he let her go.

"Alright, I understand. The world doesn't revolve around us and we both still need our jobs. Go on then and hurry up, I need one too." Alec said lightly, swatting her on the rear as she turned away.

Max turned to glare at him over her shoulder. "You just can't resist, can you?"

Alec shrugged his shoulders shamelessly. "What can I say? I'm a butt man." Alec teased.

Max smiled slightly and rolled her eyes before continuing on her way to the bathroom.

"Just remember to check those hands in the future. They belong to me now." Max called out from the hallway.

"Wouldn't have it any other way…sweetie." Alec countered, tacking on the pet name just to get a rise out of her.

Sure enough…

"Don't call me sweetie!" Max yelled out angrily, slamming the bathroom door behind her.

Smirking, he folded his hands behind his head and laid back down to wait.

ooooeooo*oooozooooo*ooooooosoo*

"I'm hungry." Alec stated once both of them were freshly showered and sitting on the couch, watching TV.

"So, eat something then. I ate some Chinese leftovers in the fridge while you were in the shower." Max said monotonously, her gaze not leaving the television.

"No, Max. I meant _real_ food. As in 'let's go out to a restaurant' food." Alec explained, sounding a hint petulant.

"What, like a date?" Max asked, looking up at Alec expectantly.

"Yeah, I guess so. Do you want it to be?" Alec said, one corner of his mouth quirking up.

"Hell, yes. Let's go." Max said, standing up, hauling him up as well, and out the door.

ooooouoooo*oooooxooo*ooooaooo*oooomoo

_Two days later:_

"Dude, we just had sex on the way here." Alec said with a huge grin on his face as he slouched down into a chair next to Biggs for TC's weekly meeting.

Biggs had previously been the only one in the makeshift conference room. It was always held at 5:00 to ensure that everyone would be free from their other job, should they have one. And since just about every X5 now worked at Jam Pony, including Max and Alec, that couldn't have left them much time or many options as to what he just admitted to.

Biggs was currently the only other X5 to know about their being involved, seeing as he was the closest thing to a brother and best friend that Alec had ever had. The first moment Alec had free was when Biggs had been informed of the truth. That was yesterday. Neither had shown up to work on Monday. It was now Wednesday. Biggs didn't want to know why Alec had been missing in action for a whole day.

"What, again? Where?" Biggs asked incredulously, referring to an... incident that morning.

Alec relaxed back into the chair, putting his hands behind his head and propping his legs up on the table.

"Why do you think my hair's wet?" Alec answered cryptically, contained amusement lighting up his features.

"No! No, you didn't." Biggs said in a chastising tone. "Seriously, Alec. I've still gotta shower in there. It's the community shower, not brothel."

Alec merely smiled wider. "What can I say? It was her idea. I had no idea Max could be so…spontaneous."

"Just stop right there. I don't wanna know." Biggs said, holding his hands up.

Alec chuckled lightly and placed his hands in his lap, staring down at them. Turning serious, he said "I care for her, Biggs. I care about her a lot."

"Scared?" Biggs asked in a tone that spoke from experience.

"You have no idea." Alec said. Pausing, he added quietly "I love her." _And I don't know how to tell her_, he continued silently to himself.

Biggs smiled slightly and was about to say something, but at that moment, the other board members started trickling through the door and taking their seats around the table. Biggs shrugged his shoulders and thumped Alec's shoulder apologetically, giving up the conversation for later.

Biggs watched as Max walked through the door, her eyes lighting up and a smile tugging at the corners of her lips when she caught Alec's before her typical stern expression settled on her features. Only those paying close attention to her would have seen it. When she passed by Alec, she knocked his legs from the table and smacked his head.

"Show some respect." Max mock-scolded.

_Oh, so that's how it was going to be, _Biggs thought to himself as Max nodded at him in greeting on her way to the head of the table. They were going to pretend nothing had changed. Biggs shook his head in disbelief after inclining his head in return.

That wasn't going to last very long. Especially when Alec was involved. If he didn't have to, the boy could not keep a secret to save his life. This was something Biggs knew from experience. And he'd known Alec a lot longer than Max.

Max took her seat at the head of the table and cleared her throat to gather everyone's attention.

"Let's get started, shall we?" she said.

oooooonooo*ooooxoooo*ooooeoooo*oooaoooo

Sorry there isn't an actual date scene. I was going to write one, but it just wouldn't produce itself. Also, I just _had _to put that last scene in this chapter. It was the first scene I wrote for this chapter! How could I not? So, in the end, I hope it wasn't _too_ confusing. And we're almost to the end! One more chapter, and that's it. Until next time…


	8. Skipping Heats and Finding Mates

Author's note: Here it is ... _the last chapter_!!! ... and I hope you enjoy!

Music suggestions: 'Undiscovered' by Ashlee Simpson, 'Sorry' by Buckcherry, 'Got you (where I want you)' by The Flys, 'Memory' by Sugarcult.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Cameron Eglee Productions and FOX. The original characters and plot are the property of the author (which is me, enchantra626 in this particular case). I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 8

"So, Boo. When was the last time you went into heat? Should I be preparing soon?" OC asked, a few days later at work. It was nearing the close of the work day and the duo was preparing to leave, sitting on the bench outside their lockers.

"That's strange, actually. A couple months back I thought I was, but none of the usual symptoms, such as jumpin' every male in sight, never showed. And I felt fine after a few days." Max replied, sitting back on her hands while she straddled the bench.

"Oh, you mean that week that Alec went missing? I knew you looked off, but like you said, you never got all wack-ado on the three-legged population." OC added thoughtfully.

"Hmm...I'd forgotten about that. Things got kinda hectic that week. It was something I put off until things cooled down." Max said in a light tone. "Now that I think about it, that's around the time my feelings for Alec started to change. And I mean really change."

"You don't say?" OC trailed off in a flat tone. "Hey, Alec! Get yo' ass over here." she called out.

Max looked over her shoulder and smiled when she saw Alec headed in their direction. After a moment, she glanced around warily and checked the smile as if she hadn't known it to appear.

"You rang?" Alec asked once he'd reached them and leaned against the bank of lockers to his right.

"I know this is a long way back, but you've all got that photographic memory anyway." OC began. Alec merely raised his eyebrows as if it were obvious and to get to the point. "Where were you that week you vanished a few months back?" OC finished, crossing her arms over her chest and looking at him accusingly.

His demeanor shifted instantaneously. "Umm...out of town?" Alec answered evasively.

"Alec..." Max bit out, turning to face Alec with a look that actually made him cringe.

"Alright. I got a lead on that guy that knew how to make the cure." Alec replied quickly in surrender. At her frown, he added, "The one that cut that bomb out of my head."

"Are you kidding me?" Max asked monotonously. "And?"

"The trail went cold." Alec said in a self-depreciative tone. "Besides, I felt this strong pull to come back home. It was indescribable. It was almost a good thing I lost the guy because I couldn't follow anymore. I couldn't resist it." Alec continued in a bewildered tone.

"What are you talking about? It wasn't something that ever happened at Manticore?" Max asked.

"Not to me or anyone else I know." Alec replied seriously.

"And when you got back, the feeling disappeared?" OC asked inquisitively, standing up and opening her locker.

"The feeling went away about a day before I got back to Seattle." Alec said.

"What day?" Max stressed, looking up at him strangely.

"Thursday." Alec answered slowly, confused by the girls' line of questioning.

Max looked over to OC, who was now staring back at her with her eyebrows raised.

"What?" Alec asked impatiently, annoyed at their silence and their knowing something he didn't.

"You don't think there's some weird connection, do you?" OC asked Max, ignoring Alec.

"How could there be? It's not something I've ever been witness to. And I've seen some pretty freaky stuff." Max replied, also ignoring Alec.

"Max!" Alec interrupted, standing up from the locker and moving between them. "What connection? What's going on?"

OC peered around him with a raised eyebrow, but Max merely shrugged and answered him.

"I might have passed through a heat cycle the same time you were gone." Max replied quietly, staring up at him.

"_Might_?" Alec asked in a mystified tone. "You're not sure?"

"Isn't that what I just said?" Max replied in a snappish tone. "I felt all the usual starter symptoms: naughty dreams, running hotter than usual, totally antsy. But then, nothing."

"Nothing?" Alec echoed monotonously. "As in?"

"No impulse to have sex with the first available male." Max supplied, a slight smile gracing her lips.

"Oh, right." Alec replied, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "So, connection again? I'm not following."

"Max? Who'd you dream of in your 'heat' dreams?" OC nudged, putting quotation marks around heat. Even though she knew of their relationship, she also knew that Max hadn't yet disclosed just how long she'd had it bad for her boy.

"Alec." Max mumbled after glaring pointedly at OC.

"Me?" Alec asked, surprised. Then the typical playboy charm set in, and he continued. "It was an inevitability."

Max pursed her lips and rolled her eyes before looking back at OC, who then leaned forward and smacked him on the back of the head.

Alec looked over at OC incredulously, who merely cocked her hip to one side and said with an attitude, "Take it like a genetically-engineered man, fool."

Looking back at Max, OC continued. "Anyway...as I was saying, do you all mate?"

"It has been known to happen. Just look at Biggs and Cece. They've been hooking up since we broke out." Alec supplied, stepping away from OC to sit behind Max on the bench.

"What if you two did?" OC asked, indicating them as Alec brushed Max's hair away from one shoulder and rubbed his nose against the back of her ear. Max hummed in contentment and began to relax back into Alec.

"Boo! I just asked you a question." OC said when she noticed that neither were listening to her any longer.

"Yes." Max responded automatically, her gaze rushing up to OC's.

"Did you even hear my question?" OC asked, more as a statement than a question.

"You think Max and I have mated." Alec replied before Max could open her mouth, turning his attention to OC.

"Yeah, I do." OC said matter-of-factly.

"That would explain the overwhelming attraction I've felt ever since my return." Alec thought out loud.

Max frowned and turned to look at him over her shoulder.

"You felt it too?" Max asked. She swatted at him when he nodded.

"Would you all stop hitting me?" Alec snapped out in a incredulous tone.

"You know you love it." Max retorted, a small smile lighting her face. "Now why didn't you make a move sooner?"

"Are you kidding me? There was no way of knowing how you'd react. _You_ had to make that first move." Alec replied.

"Chivalry's been dead for a long time, Boo." OC said sadly after he finished speaking.

Alec rolled his eyes at her response. "Also, it's not something we'd experience often at Manticore due to the females being separated during their heats and given proper medication to suppress it." Alec spoke, picking up their earlier line of questioning.

"What about all of my other heats? How come I didn't draw you then?" Max asked contemplatively.

"Because you never came into contact with him before." OC stated before Alec.

"How do you know all this?" Alec asked in a bewildered tone.

"Just comes naturally." OC replied without missing a beat. "It's kind of like that saying: You can't miss what you don't have. You never met him and picked up his scent, so you kept wanderin' around looking for Mr. Right until you did. Damn well took you long enough, Boo." OC continued, looking at her pointedly. "And then you denied it for weeks."

"Yeah, well..." Max trailed off defensively. She then sighed defeatedly. "Okay."

"Wow. I don't think you've ever given up that easily before." Alec said, mocking her.

"Do you think it's wise taunting me while sitting so close?" Max said calmly, looking back over her shoulder and patting him on the face a few times.

"And that's my cue to leave." Alec said after taking a deep breath, scooting back on the bench and standing. Leaning down, Alec then placed a light kiss on Max's lips before smiling mischievously and saying, "See you later, Maxie."

"How did _that_ even happen?" Max asked in a mystified tone, staring after Alec as he made his way to Normal's desk and leaned against it.

"Which part?" OC said with a lilt in her voice. "Life is just weird like that, suga. No matter how you look at it."

Max shook her head and stood up to open her locker. After pulling a few items out, she shut it and was preparing to leave when a loud crash sounded in Alec's direction which was quickly followed by "You did _what_?" shouted out in surprise.

Max turned towards Normal's desk with a curious look on her face. However, the look quickly morphed into a mixture of anger and trepidation when she saw Alec still standing in the same spot and Normal looking as if he were about to pass out. Either that or spontaneously combust. Neither prediction faired well with Alec concerned.

Her suspicions were confirmed when Normal yelled out, "You did _what_ with Missy Miss?"

Max all but blurred to Alec's side and clamped a hand over Alec's mouth before he could reply.

"Nothing. He was just making it up." Max countered sweetly, forcing a smile and dragging Alec in the opposite direction. "Now if you'll excuse us...we were just leaving."

"Be kind, don't recline." Normal yelled out to more than a few confused stares. Max halted and squeezed her eyes shut in mortification as she thought of the implications of that statement before continuing to drag Alec to the broom closet at the end of the hall.

All but tossing him inside, Max followed him inside and shut the door rather forcefully behind her.

Alec was barely holding it together he wanted to laugh so hard, which served to piss Max off even more.

"Alec, what the hell? You told _Normal_ we hooked up?" Max demanded incredulously, holding her arms out at her sides in askance.

"Relax...Max." Alec replied calmly before snorting a few times and collapsing into a fit of laughter, unable to hold it back any longer.

Max's mouth gaped open and shut a few times as she tried to reign in her ferocity – not to mention the surprise at how unaffected he was by it.

After looking up to see Max due to her silence, Alec attempted to stop laughing and walked up to her. Cupping her cheek in his palm, he said, "Max, it'll be okay. We wanted everyone to know we were together. What faster way to spread the news than Normal?"

"Well, yeah. But Alec, it's _Normal_. Now he's never gonna give me a break." Max complained pitifully, gazing up at Alec with a petulant expression.

Alec smiled warmly at her response. It was moments like this that made him love the woman in front of him even more. The completely atypical Max moments that no one else got to see.

Backing her up gently until her back was pressed against the door, Alec stared down at her with an expression of tenderness and wickedness. Deviant behavior was to be expected.

"Remember the last time we were in here?" Alec asked in a reminiscent tone, one hand trailing down her side to rest lightly on her hip.

Max's breath caught in her throat as words escaped her once again. How could this one man have such an effect on her?

"Perhaps." Max whispered seductively in his ear, standing up on tip-toe with her hands flat against his chest.

Alec placed both of his hands just below her butt and tugged her up onto him. She complied without complaint and snuggled her face into his neck and wrapped her arms around his chest in return.

"Care to finish that thought?" Alec asked with his head tilted to one side as his hands skimmed along the outside of her shirt in preparation of taking it off of her.

"Nothing would please me more." Max replied as she lifted her gaze back to his and rubbed her nose against his in an Eskimo kiss before finding her way to his mouth.

A few minutes in, Max pulled away and attempted to glare at him accusingly.

"This doesn't change the fact that I'm still upset with your telling Normal." Max said seriously.

One corner of Alec's mouth quirked up into a smirk. "In a few minutes, your sweetness, it won't even matter." Alec said in a tone filled with promise.

Well, is that enough closure for everybody? Again, I hope it wasn't too abrupt an ending. It was nice to write a chapter that consisted of one scene once again. Like I just asked, I hope that this chapter explains the attraction they each felt in the first chapter and that they ended up as mates once again. Because that's what I do. It was quite nice actually how the idea for this chapter came to me. I was listening to 'Undiscovered' in the car after a long hiatus from said CD and I got this vision of Max and OC talking about Max's last heat cycle and "Bam!" there it was. And now the rest is history. Let me know what you think. Suggestions are welcomed, so if you have something in mind...drop me a line. Sooo...it's been fun and don't worry! I've got more stories in the making. See you all around! WBL.


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